Ribbon-movement for type-writers.



1 O. S. NIGKBRSON. RIBBON MOVEMENT FOB TYPE WRITERS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1905.

915,037. Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

k. 1 035866" jugs/flan am (fig Z55 M0130 G. S. NIGKERSON. RIBBON MOVEMENT FOR -TYPB WRITERS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1905.

Patented Marl 9, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- I JJZdP/SQZ 0. S. NIGKERSON. RIBBON MOVEMENT FOR TYPE WRITERS.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV 8 1905 Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

uana I I Q 1 C3 O. S. NIGKERSON. RIBBON MOVEMENT FOR TYPE WRITERS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1905.

Patented Mar. 9, 1909 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

(/zarlcs,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. NICKERSON, OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO N ICKERSON TYPEWRITER COMPANY, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION .OF WISCONSIN.

RIBBON-MOVEMENT FOR TYPE-WRITERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 9, '1909.

Application filed November 8, 1905. Seria1No. 286,378

form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a ribbon-mechanism'for typewriting-machines and it embraces improvements in means for giving motion to the ribbon-spools for feeding the ribbon past the printing point and for reversing the direction of the ribbon feed; in

means for warning the operator when the ribbon is entirely unwound from one of the spools; in means for shiftin the position of the ribbon, transversely with relation to the printing point, for the purpose of Utilizing the whole of the ribbon and for writing in different colors by means of a ribbon inked in longitudinal bands of different colors; in means for preventing a heavilyinked ribbon from blotting the paper, and in other details of construction in such mechanism.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A ribbon mechanism embracing my in vention may be applied to typewriting-machines of various forms. In the accompanying drawing, such ribbon-mechanism is illustrated in connection with a form of type- Writing-machine suchas is set forth in se arate applications filed by me on the 29th (lhy of November, 1904 Serial Number 234,705, and on the 7th day of- August, 1905, Serial Number 273,067, and in an application Serial No. 236,379 filed at the same date as this one. Y

.No referenceis made herein to parts not necessary to' an understanding of the ribbonniechanism.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is an elevation of the main parts of the machine as viewed from theri ht. Fi 2 is a front elevation of the rightand rib on spool and the arm for locking the keys of the machine when the end of the ribbon is reached. Fig. '3 is a plan'view of the base plate of the machine showing the driving gears and their connec tions. Fig. 4 is a view from'beneath of the sliding bar for reversing the direction of the ribbon. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the V shaped grooves and the clamping springs for holding the sliding bar in its two positions. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the machine showing the ribbon, the ribbon-spools and the ribbonguide. Fig. 7 is a View in front elevation of, the connecting-rod, blocks attached to the keys of the machine, and the key locking device. Fig. ,8 is a front elevation of the ribbon guide attached to the ribbon-shieldwhich shifts with the platen, the ribbonguide beingshown in its lowermost position relatively to the said ribbon shield and the ribbon being removed. Fig. 9 is an elevation of the ribbon-guide in the medium position. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the ribbon-guide. Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail elevation of the upper end of a spool-shaft, showing the s ring for holding the ribbonspool to the s aft.. Fig. 12 is a section of the upper end of a s 001 shaft, taken-on line 12-'12 of Fig. 11. one of the geared driving wheels, showing the spring for keeping the ribbon taut. Fig. 14 is an elevation showing one form of slot in the bearing blocks for locking the movable bearing sleeve for elevating 0r lowering the ribbon spool. I

As shown in the said drawings, 1 indicates the platen of the machine which constitutes the support against which the paper rests in the operation of printing, and 2, 2 indicate at opposite sides of the printing or impression point ,of the platen and with their piv l ig. 13 is an elevation of otal axes arranged'vertically. Said typebars are attached to upright pivot rods 3, 3' which are mounted in upper and lower segopposite sides of the machine.-

-mental frame members 4 and 5 located at 3- 6 indicates a curved or segmental rest for the type heads against which the same bear when in their retracted positions.

The type-bars are operated. from the keylevers 7 7 of the machine by means of ,horizontal rock-shafts 8, which have rigid arms connected by upright rods-9 with the keylevers and by horizontal rods 10 with rigid arms on the pivot-rods 3. w

The platen 1 illustratedcon'stitutes part of the paper supporting and actuating device shown in my separate applications herein- .before referred to. Said p aten consists of a.

, moved past the platen in letter-spacing' wheel or disk arranged horizontally and part of the ribbon at some distance forward turning on a vertical axis, said wheel or disk .having a narrow marginal or working face,

wide enough only to receive the impression of one of the types on the type-heads. The platen thus constructedis actuated to move vertically by a platen shift device which also gives vertical movement to the paper, and which is so constructed that both the platen and paper have a rising and falling move ment, by which the narrow face of the platen is brought into position for contact therewith upright cylinders by which the paper is caused to move into a curved path as it is The paper supporting and actuating devices illustrated also include anoscillating and vertically movable paper supporting and actuating segment 13 which swings on a vertical axis and to the curved margin of which the upper edge of the paper is fastened. Said segment 13 is attached to the upper end of a vertically movable, upright shaft 14 which is mounted in a hollow, vertical, rotative shaft 15; the said shaft 1.5 being turned step by step for letter-s acing by an actuating spring controlled y an escapement mechanism. The drawings illustrate parts of the devices shown in said separate application for giving vertical and oscillatory movement to the paper su porting segment 13 and for vertically shifting the platen 1 as required for printing from either one of the types on the type-heads, and also for giving line space movement to the segment 13 and the sheet held thereby, but inasmuch as these parts are fully described and illustrated in the said separate applications and constitute no part of the present invention, they need not be *more fully herein described.

The ribbon-spools, as indicated by 16 and 17 are located at opposite sides of the paper guide segments 11 and 12 and are mounted upon the upper. ends of upright shafts 18 and 19 which extend downwardly toand .and 26 indicate two'upriglht guide rollers which are so placed as to old the central more gear-wheel than the other. groupsfiare, moreover, so arranged on the of the platen; said guide rollers being mounted on the forwardly extending ends of the brackets 21 and 22.

The mechanism for actuating the ribbonspool shafts is constructed as follows: These devices, shown in Fig.- 3 of the drawings, are located adjacent to the base plate of the machine, and are associated with the escape mechanism by which the turning of the segment 13, the shaft 14, and the shaft 15 for letter-spacing is controlled. The actuating spring operates on a gear segment 27 which is mounted on the shaft 15. Said gear segment 27 meshes with a sector 29 mounted to turn on a shaft 28 and having a forwardly projecting arm which carries a pawl 30 acting on a ratchet wheel31 attached to said shaft 28. The turning of the shaft 15 under the action of the actuating spring is con- 85 trolled by an escape wheel 32 which is driven by a ratchet wheel 31 on the shaft 28 and is engaged by escape pawls 33, 34.

The foregoing mechanism is fully illustrated and described in my application referred to above and need not be herein more fully set forth.

The gear wheel 35, on the shaft 28 is situated beneath and revolves with the ratchet wheel 31. i

36 (Figs. 1, 3 and 4) isa horizontally arranged, endwise sliding bar, situated beneath the base plate of the machine and extending transversely thereof beneath the wheel 35. Said bar 36 has upturned ends 37, 37 which rise at the outer margins of the base plate 21). At opposite sides of thevs heel 35, the bar 36 carries two'groups of gear-wheels which are located above the level of the base plate. their supporting studs extending tln ough a slot in said base plate, and which serve to transmit motion from said gear wheel 35 to gear wheels 38 and 39 attached, respectively, to the lower ends of the ribbon-spool shafts 18 and 19. In order that the two groups of gear-wheels atthe right and left of the wheel 35 may drive the ribbon-spool shafts in opposite directions, and thereby enable the direc tion of the ribbon to be reversed, one of the groups ofgear-wheels is providedwith one The two endwise shifting bar-36 that one group is engaged with the gear wheel 35v at a time, the

,endwise shifting movement of the bar 36 serving to bring either the right or left hand group into operative connection with said wheel 35. The right-hand group is shown in the drawings as consisting of three gearwheels 40, 41 and 42 of which the wheel 40. intermeshes with the spool shaft gear 39 and the wheel 42 is adapted to engage the wheel 35; while the left hand group consists of two gears 43, and 44 of which the wheel 43 intermeshes with the spool-shaft gear 38 and the wheel 44 is adapted to intermesh with the gear wheel35.

I ated beneath the gear wheel 43 against the bar 36 and are provided with V- shaped teeth 47 47 adapted to engage, either one of two notches 48 and 49in said bar to yieldingly hold the sliding bar in position, and permit it to be shifted back and forth as desi ed for the'purpose' of bringing the right or left group of gear wheels into engagement with the main gear wheel. The notches 48 and 49 are located at the distance apart reuired for giving the endwise movement of t e bar 36, in order to-effect the engagement of one or .the other groups of gear wheels-on said bar with the wheel 35, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5., When,therefore, the left group of gear wheels. is in enga ement with the gear wheel '35, the V-shape teeth of the springs rest in the grooves 48, 48 of the sliding bar,

and when the right group of gear wheels is in engagement with the said gear wheel, the

said V-shaped teeth rest in the grooves 49, 49 of the said sliding bar. 1

The ribbon, spools 16 and 17 have central apertures to receive the upper ends of the shafts 18 and 19 and are held upon the shafts by leaf-springs 50, 50, located in longitudinal recesses in the'upperparts of said shafts, said springs tend outside of the shafts, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12.

The inking ribbon 24 is inked in three longitudinalbands of difiere'nt colors. The said ribbon is not attached directly to the ribbonspools but is pinned or otherwise secured to two short connecting ribbons which are firml secured to the hollow axes 'of the spoo s.

51, 51 indicate bearing sleeves surrounding the upper parts of the ribbon-spool shafts 18 and 19 below the ribbon spools, and in which said shafts revolve; said sleeves being ad iustably secured in cylindric apertures in the brackets 21. and 22. Said sleeves 51, 51 are adapted for vertical adjustment in order that they may support the ribbon spools at difi'erent heights on the ribbon spool shafts. To

' afford such adjustment, the said brackets are provided with upright, laterally notched slots 52, 52 through which pass clamping screws having laterally bent parts which exandby their friotional-eng'ggement with the spools holdthesaid spoo fffrom turningin the shafts. In Fig. 14,-one of the bra ts 22 is shown. as having an obliqueslot 54 which may be used inplace of thevupright slot shown in the other figures of the draw 55, 56 indicate vertical shafts located-at the'left and right hand sidesofthe machine and having bearings at their upper ends in the brackets 21 and 22, and at their lower ends in the frame of the machine. To the upper end of said shafts are attached arms 57, 58 which project rearwardly from the shafts and whic carry vertical forks throu h 8 which 'the ribbon asses at points near t e guide rollers. Ont elowerend ofthe'vertical shafts 55, 56 are rigid, forwardly extending arms 59 and 60. The lower arm 59 of thelefthand vertical shaft is en aged withone end of '85 a lever 61 which is pivota ly mounted on-a horizontal pivot stud 62' on the front of the ma-' chine frame, so that said lever swin sin a vertical plane parallel with the front face of the machine frame. Mounted on a transverse, horizontal member 63 of the machine frame,

. at the front of the machine, is a transversely extending, horizontal, endwise movable look ing bar 64 which is provided at its front edges with notches and intervening teeth, spaced to correspond with the upright connecting rods 9, 9, by which the type-bars are operated from the key-levers, the bar .64 being located behind and adjacent to the said connecting rods. "The lever 61 and the lower arm 60 of the ri ht vertical shaft are ada ted to give lon itu inal movement tothe' ocking bar 64 etween the teeth of which rearwardly extending lugs 65 on the connecting bars normall pass. By shifting the locking 165 bar longitu inally, the teeth thereof are brought into position to prevent the downwardmovement of the said connecting rods and to thereby look all of the key-levers of the machine. The pins or other fastening means connecting the ribbon 24 to the short connecting ribbons which are attached to the ribbon-spools are adapted to engage the upright, forked ends of the arm 57 or 58 when the end of the ribbon is reached, thereby movingthe said arm .toward the printing point and causing the lower arm 60 of the right vertical shaft 56 to shift the locking bar to the right, or the lower arm 59 of the left shaft 55 to operate the lever 61 to shift the said lockin bar inthc same direction.

66, 6-7 indicate flat leaf-springs attached to the brackets 21 and 22 and pressin outwardly a 'ainst the upper arms 57 an 58 so as to hol the said arms in their normal positions except when the same are moved by the ribbon for locking the key-levers; the said arms returning to their normal positions when the direction of the ribbon feed is reversed by changing the position of the sliding bar 36 on the-base of the machine.

As the locking bar will obstruct movement of the connecting rod lugs when shifted longitudinally either to the right or left, it is not" necessary that the lever 61 should be provided for the purpose of shifting the said locking bar always to the right, but in prac-,

. tached to. the front aper guide 11. A flat spring 7 4 is attache to the arm 70 of the ribbon-guide in such a position asto-extend lat erally past the shaft 71. In the said spring are a plurality of vertically spaced holes adapted to engage a pin 75 which is secured in and projects laterally from an upright, vertically movable shaft 76 which slides in the guide block 72. Attached to the upper end of the shaft 76 is a ribbon-shield 77 of thin sheet metal, celluloid or similar substance which projects beyond the ribbon guide, and is provided at itsleft hand end with a slot 78, through which the type strike the platen. The vertically movable shaft 76 has vertical movement with the laten, as described in my simultaneously fi ed application and the ribbon-shield also moves vertically with said platen. By means of the spring 74 provided with holes which engage the pin 75 on the shaft 76 carrying the ribbon-shield, the ribbon-guide is moved with the ribbon-shield and'the laten, and its vertical position relatively t ereto may be adjusted. The adjustability of the ribbon-guide relatively to the platen enables the whole surface of the ribbon to be utilized in case of an ordinary ribbon, and also permits multi-colorwork to be done by the use of a ribbon inked in longitudinal bands of different colors.

I, claim as I my invention 1. A ribbon actuating and reversing device embracing ribbon-spool shafts provided with gear wheels, a rotative driving gear wheel actuated from the letter space mechanism of the machine an endwise shifting gear-supporting bar, and gearing connecting the driving gear-wheel with said gear I wheels onthe spoolsh.aft, embracing two gear wheels mounted on the shifting bar and mtermeshing with the gear wheels on the ribbon spool-shaft and two other gear wheels mounted on said bar at such dis-,

tance apart that only one of said gear wheels will be engaged with the driving gear-wheel at one time. I

2. ribbon actuating and reversing d'evi'ce embracing ribbon-spool shafts provided with gear wheels, a rotative driving gear wheel actu ated from the letter space mechanism of the machine, a shifting gear-supporting bar, and gearing for connecting the said driving gear-wheel with the gear wheels on. the spool-shafts consisting of two roups of gears, containing an une ual num er of gear wheels, each group em racing a gear wheel mounted on the shifting bar and adapted to be brought into and out of engagement with the driving gear wheel by the movement ofsaid bar.

3. A ribbon actuating and reversing device, embracing ribbon-spool shafts provided with gear wheels, a rotative driving gear wheel, a shifting gear supporting bar, gearing connecting the driving gear wheel with the gear wheels on the spool shafts, embracing two gear wheels either of which may be engaged with the driving gear wheel by shifting said bar, and a spring detent for holding the said bar ineither position to which it may be shifted. I

4. The combination with key-levers, typebars and connecting rods for actuating the type-bars from the key-levers provided with lateral lugs, of a locking bar adapted to engage the lugs on the connecting rods and means actuated by the ribbon for shifting said locking bar.

5. The combination with key-levers, ribbon spools and means for turning the said spools, of locking means for the key-levers embracing an endwise movablelocking bar, and means for automatically actuating said locking bar embracing rock-shafts having.

operative connection with said locking bar and provided with forked arms which are engaged by the ribbon.

6. The combination with key-levers, ribbon spools, means for turning the ribbonspools, an endwise movable, toothed locking bar for the key-levers and rock-shafts provided with forked arms engaged by the ribbon and with arms which have operative connection with said locking bar.

7. The combination with type-bar's and,

key-levers, of connecting rods by which motion is communicated from the keylevers. to the type-bars, said connecting rods being provided with lateral lugs, a toothed endwise movable locking bar adapted to engage said lugs, ribbonss ools, means for actuating said spools and roc shafts provided with forked arms which are engaged by the ribbon and with rigid arms acting to give endwise movement to said locking bar.

8. The-combination with upright ribbon shafts, bearings therefor, and ribbon' s 001s thereon, of means for shifting the ri bon spools 'endwise on the shafts, embracing sleeves surrounding the shafts in contact with the spools and having sliding engage surrounding the shafts below the spools for supporting the said spools, said sleeves being vertically adjustable on the machine frame for changing the position oi the ribbon relatively to that ebars. '11, The eon ibination'with a platen and type-bar, of .a ribbon spool, a ribbon-guide -engaging the ribbon adjacent to and at pposits sidesof the printing point and a ribbon shield consisting of a thin plate located between the path of the ribbon and the platen and which is supported at one end near the printing point and at its opposite end extends between the ribbon guide and the platen, and is provided with a slot opposite the printing point.

12. p e-bar, of ashifting ribbon guide engaging 1 )bon ad acent to and at opposite sides ntin point and Emil/HEP ribbon ting on in plate located be e i obon andtne platen at one end ea "l The combination with a platen and of the printing point,iand a shifting ribbon shield consisting of a thin plate located between the path of the ribbon and the platen j and which is supported at one end near the printingpoint and at its opposite end extends between the ribbon guide and the platen and is provided with a slot opposite the printing point, said shifting ribbon guide being connected with and having shifting movement with the ribbon shield.

1.4. The'combination with type-bars and a platen, of a shifting ribbon shield and a ribbon-guide which is adjustably connected ivith the ribbon-shield and shifts with the atter.

platen, of a ribbon-guide, a supporting rod or said ribbon-guide having endwise movel ment in a direction transverse to the ribbon, a shifting ribbon-shield, and an adjustable the ribbon-shield:-

16. The combination with ty e-bars and a platen, of a ribbon-guide whic is movable in a direction transverse to the ribbon, a ribbon-shield which is movable in a direction transverse to the ribbon, and an adjustable ribbon-shield, consisting of a pin in one of part provided with'a pluralit; of laterally spaced holes for engagement with said pinf 1?. The combination with t e--bars and a platen, of a shifting ribbon-gui d porting rod for said uide having endwise movement on the mac line frame in. direcransrerse to the ribbon. testimony, that I claim the fo x, invention affix m .signatn "enoe two witnesses, this i .ovember A. D. 1905 I CHARLLi-S S. NICKERFJON.

in 2nd day oi 1.5. The combination with type-bars and a i said parts and a spring-plate on the other.

e, and a supconnection between said ribbon-guide and connection between the ribbon-guide and 

